Flying machine



April 1945. w. K. M. BARTSCH 2,372,926

FLYING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l L: l AI Elva/whim P a-Jc. K

p il 3, 1945. w. K. M. BARTSCH 2,372,926

FLYING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 3, 1945 UN l T ED -P2 ?!KIWI" "OF F I CE 'FIJYI NG William-K. Bartsch, Kansas Gity,"Mo.

Application November 22, 1943, SerialNo. 51-11277 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in nying machines, of a type similar-tothe ornithopter, excepting that in mymachine the propeller blades revolve continuously in one -direction around their axes.

One object of my invention is the provision of a flying machine of the kind described, and-of novel construction, in which the propeller blades are so arranged and operated as to lift and'carr-y the machine forwardly, and which can be flown without the use of wings.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a novel flying machine, which is very simple, of relatively fewparts, which has stabiL ity, is easily operated, is durable, and which is efficient in its operation.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel propellerblade and of'novel means of operating it by which the blade exerts a maximum of lifting and drivingefiect with'a minimum of resistance to its revolution and to theprogress of the machine'duringthat portion Fig.1.

Fig. '3 is an enlarged side view of one of the propeller blades, with its crank shaft 'sl'iownin solid lines, as when the blade is used at one side of the machine and revolves in one'direction, the crank shown in dotted Iines'being employed when the blade is at the other side o'fthe machine'and revolves in the opposite direction.

Fig. 4 is a side edge view of what-is shown in Fig. 3.

'Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the machine, show- 'ing the blades in the vertical plane.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the right hand cam and one of the propeller blades cooperating therewith, and shown in the two horizontal and two verticalpositions,

Fig. '7 is a section-onthe line l-Tof- Fig. 6.

"Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in theidi fferent views.

[designates the fuselage of the machine having in its upper side anopening 2 for receiving therethrough the operator.

3 designates the front landing wheels andd the axle therefor mounted on the under side-of the fuselage. 5 designates the usual rear landing wheel. The fuselage has the usual stern steeringmechanism. tdesignates two usual side wings, their end portions-beingbroken away, and WhlCh,-'if desired-may be dispensed with, as the 8 machine has a novel arrangement of propeller blades adapted for lifting, sustaining and forwardlyipropelling the machine.

Over the wings -6 respectively are two explosive-engines 1 and 8 disposed respectivelyat 10 the right and left sides'of the longitudinal verticalplane ofthecenterof gravity of the machine, which plane is designated by A-B and is also theplane of the longitudinal vertical center of thefuselage.

Supporting means for the engines I -and8 comprise two 'bars 9 the upper ends of which are re .spectively fastened'to the under sides and forward'portions of the engines and whichincline forwardlyand downwardly to and are fastened, as by welding, to 'theupper side and middle front .port-ion'of the fuselage 1; two bars l0 fastened at their upper ends to the engines 1 and Band incline rearwardly and downwardly to and are fastenedto the upper side of the fuselage I; and a horizontal transverse bar ll fastenedat its ends-respectively tothe engine bodies 1 anclB.

Two drivingmembers comprising two rotary shafts I2 and I3 of the engines I and 8 are respectively rotatable in two bearings l4 and [5 so provided-at the rear ends of the engines 7 and-8.

The driving members or shafts l2 and 13 are substantially horizontal, when the machine is on an even keel, and extend forwardly and/rear- -wardly with their axes converging forwardly-toward each other.

k Respectively fastened to the rear ends of the driving: members or shafts l2 and 13 are two V shaped hubs l6 and H, which revolve with the :shafts 12 and I3, :said shafts being revolved by the motors of the enginesin opposite directions.

The engines land 8 may be of usual explosive type, :each having oppositely disposed cylinders. Respectively pivoted on-radial axes in the arms 'of-the hub I6 aretwo-radial propeller blades I8 which revolvewith thehub l6 and shaft 12 clock wise,- as--viewedfromtherear. The blades l8 are alike, one beingshown-enlarged in Figs. 3 and 4, inrsolidlines. They are disposed diametrically opposite-to each other at opposite sides-of the 60 axispf theshaft 12. As shown in-Fig. 1, the radial-axesof the blades l8 diverge rearwardly -from -each other at anangle of approximately --l26 degrees; each radialaxisconverging forwardly towardtheaxis of the driving shaft lz'iatapprox- --imatel-y- 63=degrees, saidaxis of the :shaftl2 convergingi forwardly a't; approximately 63 degres.

Each blade l8 has at its inner end a radial shaft 19 having a crank arm 20, the radial shaft I9 being pivoted in one arm of the hub l6, Figs. 3 and 4.

In Fig. 3, the line E-F designates the radial axis of the blade IS. The blade at one side of the axis E-F is wider than at the other side, the longitudinal edge of the narrow side of the blade always being'the leading edge, in the revolution of the blade.

The assemblage of the blades is is such that when each blade reaches the upper vertical position, shown in Fig. 6, its crank arm 20 will be engaged by an arcuate cam 2| mounted on the a bearing l4, so as to swing the blade on its radial axis to a position in which one side of the blade will be in front of and leading the other side. This position is herein termed the, side leading position.

As shown in Fig. 1, the cam 2| is transverse to and inclined rearwardly relatively to the axis of the driving member l2, so that as the blade revolves downwardly its angl 'of incidence will -be about 45 degrees, as shown in Fig. '7, when the blade I8 reaches the right hand horizontal 'position, shown in Figs. 1 and 6. At this time,

the blade will be in a vertical plane at right angles to the longitudinal plane A-B, preferably with its radial axis in the vertical transverse plane CD, Fig. l, of the center of gravity of the machine.

The are of the cam 2| is of such length that when the blade 18 in its downward movement of revolution reaches the lower vertical position shown in Fig. 6, the crank arm 20 of the blade leading position until it passes the horizontal,

the blade, in the horizontally extending position, extending at right angles to the straightahead and inclining upwardly and rearwardly from its front edge at approximately forty five degrees. The blade thu's, during its downward movement will exert both a lifting and a forward propelling effect. 4

By so disposing the blades [8 and having their axes diverging rearwardly from the driving shaft, and having the driving shaft extending forwardly and rearwardly at an angle to the straightahead, as shown, a maximum of driving effect is obtained with a minimum of air resistance by the blades during their upward movement.

Thus the blades 18 in revolving clockwise, viewed from the rear, will consecutively lift and propel the machine forwardly, and by reason of their arrangement, in passing upwardly in their non-resistant position, they will present a minimum of resistance to the forward movement of the machine, and in their downward revolution they will exert a maximum of power directed to lifting and propelling the machine forwardly.

At the other side of the machine, on the hub H are pivoted on radial axes two radial propeller blades IB' having each a radial shaft I9 provided with a crank arm 20' which engages a cam 2| mounted on the bearing IS. The blades 18' correspond in structure and mode of operation to the blades [8, excepting that their crank arms 20',

shown in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4, are disposed reversely to the crank arms 20, and the blades l8 are positioned reversely to the blades l8 and revolve in opposite directions, or counterclockwise, as viewed from the rear.

Brace rods 22 connect the outer end portions of the blades l8 and I8 with the hubs l6 and IT, for stabilizing the blades against centrifugal action.

Th driving members or shafts I2 and H! of the engines I and 8 are inclined to the longitudinal axis A-B, so as to bring the blades is and I8 into their most efficient positions of revolution, and the convergence of the axes of the driving members l2 and I3 forwardly effects stabilization, as does the revolving them and the blades in opposite directions.

The cam 2| is inclined oppositely to the cam 2| to accommodate it to the revolution of the blades l8 oppositely to the blades l8.

The degree of inclination of the cams 2| and 2| may be varied to suit the angles of incidence desired in the blades when they are revolving downwardly.

Any usual mechanism may be employed for controlling the operation of the engines I and 8, and any usual tail steering assembly may be employed.

The wings 6, as shown, are disposed above the landing wheels 3 and below and clear of the revolving blades I8 and I8 respectively, and are intersected by the vertical transverse plane of the center of gravity CD, Fig. l.

The two propelling mechanisms shown and described, with the fuselage and tail steering assembly will form a flying unit, which, in combination with the wings 6, maximum lifting at the start and at landing is effected, and in horizontal flight, maximum push and minimum lift of the blades is obtained.

Various modifications of my invention, within the scope of the appended claim, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

In combination with the supporting structure of a flying machine, two propelling means disposed respectively at opposite sides of the longitudinal axi of said supporting structure, each of said propelling means comprising as follows: a rotary driving member extending forwardly at an angle acute to said longitudinal axis, supporting means on said supporting structure for said rotary driving member, means for rotating said driving member, a hub on and revoluble with said driving member, a propeller blade pivoted on said hub on an axis diverging from the axis of said driving member so as to swing to an edge leading or to a side leading position and having a crank arm extending laterally from the axis of said blade, and guiding means including a stationary cam on said supporting means by which, when said blade moves downwardly from its uppermost position, its said crank arm will be engaged by said cam so as to swing said blade from an edge leading toward a side leading position until said blade reaches the horizontal position in which position said blade will be inclined from its front edge upwardly and rearwardly, said blade when it has passed the horizontal position a substantial distance in its downward movement having its crank arm released from engagement with said cam so as to be adapted to swing freely on its axis. WILLIAM K. M. BARTSCH. 

